THE BALLAD OF FATHER GILLIGAN 

William Butler Yeats

Introducing the author

William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939) is an Irish poet,dramatist and mystic. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.Warm up ―The Ballad of Father Gilligan‖ has a ballad form - a narrative poem, usually sung, with regular, short stanzas that tell a story. In this poem, Yeats narrates a profoundly meaningful story and it has a more overtly religious content than most of his poems. The story is about a priest who being emotionally and physically worn out fell into deep slumber. As he woke up, he was horrified by the fact that he could not make it to the bedside of the sick man before he died and that no one had performed the rites of blessing for the dying. The divine presence in the guise of the priest is an affirmation of a loving and kind God.Study the poem and find out how Yeats glorifies God.

The Text 

The old priest Peter Gilligan 

Was weary night and day; 

For half his flock were in their beds, 

Or under green sods lay.

Once, while he nodded on a chair, 

At the moth-hour of eve,

Another poor man sent for him,

And he began to grieve.

I have no rest, nor joy, nor peace, 

For people die and die; 

And after cried he, 'God forgive!

My body spake, not I

He knelt, and leaning on the chair 

He prayed and fell asleep; 

And the moth-hour went from the fields,

And stars began to peep.

They slowly into millions grew,

And leaves shook in the wind;

And God covered the world with shade,

And whispered to mankind.

Upon the time of sparrow-chirp 

When the moths came once more.

The old priest Peter Gilligan 

Stood upright on the floor.

Mavrone, mavrone! the man has died

While I slept on the chair';

He roused his horse out of its sleep,

And rode with little care.

He rode now as he never rode,

By rocky lane and fen;

sick man's wife opened the door:

Father! you come again!'

And is the poor man dead?' he cried. 

He died an hour ago.

The old priest Peter Gilligan

In grief swayed to and fro.

When you were gone, he turned and died 

As merry as a bird.'

The old priest Peter Gilligan

He knelt him at that word.

'He Who hath made the night of stars 

For souls who tire and bleed,

Sent one of His great angels down

To help me in my need.

He Who is wrapped in purple robes, 

With planets in His care,

Had pity on the least of things 

Asleep upon a chair.

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1. Why was Father Gilligan 'weary'? Was he only tired physically or also exhausted mentally? Justify your answer with examples from the poem.

Ans: Father Gilligan was tired because he has to work night and day. Most of the people in the village were either sick or have died. At their sick bed, they were calling father Gilligan for prayer and peaceful journey of the soul. Hence, father has to attend them. Father was tired physically also when he said "God forgive! My body spake, not I!" 

2. Why did he seek forgiveness from God? What type of man does this prove him to be? (clue: his two types of devotion)

Ans: Father Gilligan seeks God's forgiveness for his murmuring and grumbling by saying that it was his weak and fatigued body which complained and not his spirit and mind which were keen to save the souls of the dying villagers. As he continues to pray he is completely overwhelmed by sleep.

3. How was the night: peaceful and quiet or turbulent and restless? Bring out expressions from the poem to support your answer. (clue: peep, slowly…)

Ans: The night was Peaceful and quiet. The stars gradually grew into millions and the leaves shook lightly in the breeze. God covered the world in the darkness of night communicated in the dreams.  These expressions from the poem supports the answer.

4. Why has the night been described so? (clue: contrast between Father Gilligan when awake and when asleep)

Ans: The night has been described as peaceful as it directly contrasts with the restless soul of father Gilligan. When  he was awake, he was tired and exhausted and needed sleep to rest his body. So the night has been described as peaceful to bestow the right calmness to the soul. 

5. What was the reaction of Father Gilligan when he woke up from his deep sleep? State why he felt so.

Ans: Father Gilligan stood uprightly and was full of remorse on walking up in  the morning. He felt guilty of not performing his duty on time. He cried "Mavrone! Mavrone!" remembering that the sick man wood have died without listening the verses from The Holy Bible. 

6. Bring out the meaning of the expression: "He rode now as he never rode".

Ans: The expression: "He rode now as he never rode" means that Father Gilligan rode the horse with great speed to the sick man's house. 

7. Find the expressions that show Father Gilligan's concern for the people under his care. (cue: at least four expressions.)

Ans: The following expressions show that Father Gilligan's concern for the people under his care.

        a. 'God forgive! My body spake, not I

        b.  Mavrone, mavrone! the man has died, While I slept on the chair';

        c. He rode now as he never rode

        d. And is the poor man dead?' he cried. 

        e. In grief swayed to and fro.

8. Why did the sick man's wife say 'Father! you come again!'?

Ans: The sick man’s wife was surprised to see the priest. Already her husband had received the last sacrament from the priest and he had passed away happily. So the widow could not understand why the priest had come again.

9. Who came to the sick man before his death? Why?

Ans: God had sent one of his angels in the guise of Father Gilligan to perform the rites on the sick man. Father Gilligan was a God fearing and dutiful person. Since he was tired and unknowingly felt asleep God took upon him to save both of them. 

10. What made Father Gilligan kneel and pray?

Ans: When the priest inquired her if the sick man was dead, she said to him that the sick man died cheerfully after the priest had left. The widow’s word made Father Gilligan realise that the ever merciful God had extended His helping hand to him. The priest was humbled at this and knelt and prayed. He realised that God the Divine had compassionately sent an angel to minister the last ritual to the dying man so that both the sick man as well as the priest were saved from damnation. 

11. What were his words of gratitude to God?

Ans: When Father Gilligan finds out this has happened, he is filled with gratitude. He thanks God for not letting the poor man suffer without there being anyone who sits with him in his last hours. He also thanks God for having pity on his faithful servant and sending someone to do his job when he himself was too tired to do it. 

12. There is an implicit comparison between heavenly creatures and bodies (angels, planet etc), and their tireless movement with an insignificant person (ln. 43) on earth and his inaction (sleep, not being able to take care of people in time). Discuss this comparison.

Ans: God and nature never take rest. The planets, stars, Moon, Sun etc. all do their work night and day. But human beings have physical limits and they get tired if they don't take rest. 

13. What qualities of Father Gilligan do you admire ?

Ans: Father Gilligan is a hard working person. He is simple God loving man who care for human beings. He never use any harsh word and think bad for others.He has complete faith in God.

14. Note each stanza has four lines. In Stanza 1, 'day' in the first line rhymes with 'lay' of the fourth line making the rhyme scheme - a b c b. Find out whether all the stanzas have the same rhyme scheme.

Ans: The poem consists of   stanzas, with each stanza having the rhyme scheme abcb.